Apparatus for cleaning tracks



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

{No Model.)

J. E. FISHER. APPARATUS POR CLEANING TRACKS.

Patented Nov. 5, 1889..

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN E. FISHER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,511, dated November5, 1889.

Application fled January 21, 1889. Serial No, 29'?,013. (No model.)

To all whom] it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. FISHER, a citi- Zen of the United States,and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Oleaning Tracks, of which the following', taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaningtracks,and is especially adapted to remove the hard-trodden snow or icefrom horse-car tracks, and for similar purposes.

It consists in a peculiar construction of t-he diggers or Scrapers forscraping the ice from the rails; also, in mechanism for breaking orpicking up the ice between the rails, and for a short distance outsideof the rails on either side 5 also, in means for hanging the share orguide board for guiding the snow and ice to one side of the track afterit has been broken up, and also in mechanism for sweeping the rails.

The invention is carried out as follows, referenee being had to theaccompanyiug drawings,wherein- Figure l represents a bottom view of myimproved track-cleaner. Fig. 2 represents a central longitudinal sectionof the same, and Fig. 3 represents a cross-section ou the line A B.(Shown in Fig.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on thedifferent parts of the drawings.

d represents the frame of the track-cleaner, mounted on the wheels b h bb, whose axles b h are j ournaled in the bearings ca a a d on the frame,as shown in Fig. l.

c represents the draw-bar, as usual.

a represents a bracket or bearing attached to the forward part of theframe directly over the rail of the car-track, and to this bracket ishinged the scraper or digger d in such a manner that it will be drawnalong on the rail R whenl the track-cleaner is moved forward and willtend to scrape the ice from the Y rail.

rail with a yielding pressure sufficiently strong to remove the ice andsnow from the rail, but to yield and allow the scraper to rise shoulditcoine in contact with the projecting end of a rail or a spike.

d represents a rod passing through perforations in the scraper and theframe and also through the spring d. Said rod se'rves to guide thescraper on the rail, and also to limit the downward movement of thescraper caused by the spring cl', by means of the nut d3, screwed onsaid rod below the scraper, and the hand-nut (Z4, screwed on said rodabove the frame of the cleaner. Thus it will be seen that the scrapercan be adjusted up or down by means of the hand-nut d* and the spring d.One of these diggers or Scrapers is provided for each rail R R, as shownin Fig. 1.

To the forward axle h are secured the spurgears e e, which mesh into thesmaller spurgears e e', keyed or otherwise made fast on the reduced endsof the pick-drum f. The drum f is provided with a number of picks orprojections f f on its surface, and is journaled in the blocks d3 d3,which are guided up and down in the hangers d4 afl, as shown in Fig. 3.p

a5 d5 represent spring-cushioi'is interposed between the under side ofthe blocks as a3 and the lower part of the hangers a* a4, and a arepresent similar spring-cushions placed between the upper side of theblocks a3 CL3 and the followers uf a7, which are pressed downl ward,when in operation, by means of the lever g acting on the yoke a8, theends of which rest on top of the followers a7 e7. The lever g is pivotedin its forward end at g to abearing on the frame, and is guided at itsrear end in the standard g.

g3 represents a pin or bolt. inserted through one of the perforatious inthe standard g to hold the lever after it has been adjusted. It will beseen that when the blocks a a3 and the drum f are forced downward to theposition shown in the drawings the teeth of the gears e and e meshtogether and cause the drum to revolve in the direction of the arrowsshown in Fig. 2, when the cleaner is drawn forward, and by this meansany ice or snow there may be in the path of the cleaner will be brokenup by the picks f f; but if roo not required for use.

any substance too hard for the picks to break up should comein contactwith the picks the spring-cushions a6 a6 will yield and allow the drumto rise and pass over such hard substance and thereby prevent the picksfrom breaking.

If it is not desired to use the picks for cleaning the track, all thatis necessary to do is to withdraw the pin g3 from the standard g andraise the lever g and yoke as sufficiently to allow the spring-cushionsa5 a5 to raise the drum high enough to disengage the gears e and e fromeach other, when the drum will remain stationary.

I do not wish to coniine myself to the precise means shown for hangingand operating the drum f, as other and well-known means may be employedwithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Zz represents the plowshare or guide-board for guiding the snow and iceto one side of the track after it has been broken up by the picks f f',and said guide-board is hung to both sides of the frame ay at the pointsh h in front of said guide-board by means of the rods ZL Zz. Thus itwill be seen that the guideboard is drawn by the frame of the cleanerinstead of being pushed, as is common in snow-plows now in use forcleaning horse-car tracks, and by this construction the rods can be mademuch lighter and still retain the desired strength.

h3 h3 represent wings or extensions hinged at h4 h4 to the guide-boardh, as usual, for the purpose of raising them when in the way or h5 h5represent rods pivotally attached at one end to the outer end of thewings h3 h3 and at the other end to the frame in front of the wings.

'i represents a lever fulcrumed at c" to a bearing on the frame a andhaving the forked connecting rod or link i hinged to one end of saidlever, the other end of the lever being guided in the standard Z3 on theframe.

The connecting-rod i, hinged to the end of the lever t', is hinged inits forked lower end to the guide-board h at fi* 4, and it will be seenthat if the free end of the lever 1l is forced downward the guide-boardh will be raised by the rods Zi ZL, swinging on their fulcra h h on theframe a.

Z5 represents a pin or bolt adapted to be inserted through one of theholes in the standard 113 above the lever z', to hold the guideboard inits raised position.

On the rear axle b of the cleaner is loosely journaled the arms Za k,their outer ends forming bearings for the brush-shaft Z, which is set ina rotary motion, when the cleaner is drawn forward, by means of thechain or belt m and the pulleys m and m placed, respectively, on theaxle b and shaft Z. The shaft Z is provided with brushes Z Z, in such'positions that when said shaft is revolved the when they are in theposition shown in the drawings.

Zo represents a forked connecting-rod attached in its forked end to thearms Za k and in the other end to one end of the lever n,the other endof said lever n being guided in the standard n on the frame of thecleaner.

n represents the fulcrum on which the lever n is swung, and n3represents a pin.or bolt passed through one of the holes in the standardn to hold the lever in position after it has been adjusted.'

When the brushes are not required for use, the free end of the lever fn,is swung downward, which will swing the arms Zo Zo upward, byV means ofthe connecting-rod k', and consequently the shaft Z, with its brushes ZZ', will be raised from the ground.

If so desired, my improved Scrapers and sweeping mechanism may beapplied to a horse-car for the purpose of cleaning the rails of thetrack from gravel or dirt without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Having thus fully described the nature,

construction, and operation of my invention,

I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claiml. In a track-cleaningapparatus, the digger or scraper CZ, pivoted to the frame a, or abracket thereon, at a point in front of the Contact of said digger withthe rail of the track, and having the spring d interposed between thedigger and the frame, and the rod fZ, with its nut (Z3 and hand-nut (Z4,to limit the movement of said spring, as and for the purpose set forth;

2. In a track-cleaning apparatus, a drum or cylinder provided with picksor projections on its surface, said drum being journaled in bearings onthe frame of the machine, said bearings being provided with yieldingspringcushions above and below, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a track-cleaning apparatus, the drum f, provided with picks f fand revolved by mechanism from one of the axles of the machine, saiddrum being j ournaled in the blocks c3 as, which are guided in thehangers a4 a4, and provided with spring-cushions ai' af" and a a6, aboveand below, the lever g, and connecting mechanism to the drum f, saidleverA being pivoted to the frame of the machine and adjustably held inposition on said frame, all combined for the purpose set forth.

4. A track-cleaning apparatus consisting of the following elements: aframe mounted on Wheels, diggers pivoted to the forward part of saidframe and pressed against the rails of the track with ayieldingpressure, as described, a drum provided with picks or projections andadapted to be rotated by mechanism from the axle of the machine in bear-IOC)l IIO ings on said frame, a guide-board pivotally connected to saidframe at points in front of said guide-board, brushes mounted on a shaftrotated by mechanism from the axle of the machine, said shaft havingbearings in arms adapted to swing on said axle, and connectto thisspeoieation,in the presence of two subing mechanism from said drum,guide-board, seribing Witnesses, ou this 15th day of Janand arms each toa separate lever adjustably nary, A. D. 1889.

held in position ou the frame of the machine, JOHN E. FISHER. 5 al1Combined to operate as and for the pur- Witnesses:

pose set forth and described. N HENRY CHADBOURN,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name M. B. MCMANUS.

